FSU Broncos National Signing Day

Check the Broncos Blog on fsubroncos.com often for continuous recruiting updates and analysis on Wednesday

FAYETTEVILLE, NC – The new Broncos are coming.

And you can find out all you need to know about them right here.

With the dawn of National Signing Day on Wednesday morning, the Broncos Blog on FSUBroncos.com will be your home to find out all the latest news and updates as soon as the information begins to come in about the newest recruits to sign with the Fayetteville State Broncos.

Check in throughout the day for instant updates, commentary and analysis about each signee’s background, his pedigree and what he brings to the Broncos program. Read coaches’ comments and personal highlights and get the inside scoop on where and how each new player will fit in on the Broncos’ roster.

Fayetteville State has won three CIAA Championships under head coach Kenny Phillips, including the 2009 title. The Broncos have finished at .500 or better in eight of Phillips’ 11 seasons at the helm and will enter the 2011 season after having won three straight games and four of their last five to close out the 2010 season.

RECRUITS

John Brown

* JOHN BROWN LB 6-2 225 SEVENTY-FIRST HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS:Perhaps the prize of the Broncos’ 2011 recruiting class; Brown headlined a stout defense at traditional powerhouse Seventy-First in Fayetteville; Seventy-First held opponents to around 10 ppg and Brown was a big reason why; Defensive MVP when Seventy-First won the state 4-A title in 2008; Four-year starter.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Brown fits the type of what I look for in linebackers,” says FSU head coach and linebackers coach Kenny Phillips. “He’s a tall, rangy kid that can run. He’s played for a legend in coach Bob Paroli, and Coach Paroli and I go way back. I know that when I get one of his kids, one thing I know (about that player) is he’s going to be tough. Toughness overcomes a lot of things, and we know that from the way he was coached in high school, he won’t have a hard time adjusting to the way we coach in college. He was one of the guys I put my thumb on and said, ‘We need this guy here.'”

JOHN BROWN’S COMMENTS: “Fayetteville State was interested in me from the start, and I really appreciated that. It’s the right fit because it’s right at home, it’s a great program, a winning program, and I feel like I can come in and make a difference.”

* KWAMERE BAILEY S 6-2 180 MANTEO HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Athletic safety who led Manteo High School with a staggering 134 tackles, 84 of which were unassisted; Averaged 9.6 tackles per game; Led team with 4 inteceptions, returning them for a combined 101 yards; Averaged 21.1 yards on kick returns; Led Manteo in rushing with 1,091 yards; Averaged11.4 yards per carry; Scored team-high 12 touchdowns; Had 7 receptions for 241 yards; Averaged 34.3 yards per catch; Caught 2 touchdowns; Brother Colon Bailey is a running back for FSU.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Bailey’s a very physical, hard-working young man,” says FSU defensive backs coach David Bowser. “We’re excited to incorporate him into a young secondary and in special teams. I expect big things from him early, especially in special teams.

BY THE NUMBERS: Free safety recorded team-high 68 tackles for Cary Imps; Had 41 unassisted tackles; Had 1.0 sacks; Led team with 5 interceptions; Team-high 11 passes defended; Recorded 3 fumble recoveries, returning them 60 yards; Caused one fumble; Led team in kickoff and punt returns; Returned 5 kicks for touchdowns; Tri-9 Conference Special Teams Player of the Year.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “I think Donte can be an impact player for us at the free safety spot,” says FSU head coach Kenny Phillips. “That was a position where we struggled at a little bit last year, and we knew we had to go out and try to find somebody with a little more physical attribute than what we had. After watching Donte on film, I didn’t think we had shot at him after watching he did as a kick returner and after watching what he did as a free safety in high school. He’s tall, he’s rangy and he covers the field. I really didn’t think we had a shot at him.”

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “FSU is getting a good one in Donte,” says Cary head coach Ben Kolstead. “His ability to continue to grow once he gets into a college program is great. Overall, he’s a really good athlete and can do a lot of things. He’s a really gifted returner. It got to a point this year where teams stopped kicking it to him. And defensively, he’s very rangy. He can cover sideline-to-sideline, but he also has the ability to run downhill and make tackles in the open field.”

* DEREK BRYANT QB 6-3 227 Carrboro High School

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BY THE NUMBERS: Another prize for the Broncos; Rated as a two-star recruit with Rivals.com; Dual threat quarterback has been the face of a Carrboro football program that rose froma new school four years ago to a 10-win tam in 2010; Runs a 4.9 40; Threw for 2,650 yards, among the tops in the state; Tossed 24 TDs against just 7 INTs and ranked fourth in QB efficiency in Raleigh area.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Derek is an extremely mature and polished quarterback,” said FSU recruiting coordinator David Bowser. “He’s a very smart young man who comes from a great family. We’re excited to have him here.”

Jalen Sowell

* JALEN SOWELL ATH/QB 5-11 175 MONROE HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Athletic dual threat could be used in a variety of ways at FSU; Threw for 1,679 yards his senior year; Threw for 23 TDs against 17 INTs; Averaged 8.7 yards per carry; Recorded 33 total tackles, including 28 unassisted, as a free safety; Had 1 interception; Had six passes defended, ranking second on the team; Recovered two fumbles; Played for his father, Johnny Sowell, at Monroe High School.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “He has tremendous athleticism and can really run and throw,” says FSU offensive coordinator Dick Portee. “He has a high football IQ, which you would expect from a coach’s son.”

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “Jalen’s a great young man, and I’m not saying that just because he’s my son, but because of what he’s done here at school for the last four years,” says Monroe High School head coach Johnny Sowell. “He’s been around the program forever and understands what to do as a person and what to do on the football field. I’m very proud.”

* RICARDO WHITE ATH/RB/DB 5-11 185 MONROE HIGH SCHOOL

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BY THE NUMBERS: A standout on both sides of the ball for 9-5 Monroe; Was second on team in rushing with 1,071 yards; Averaged 6.9 yards per carry; Scored seven TDs rushing; Had 8 receptions for 199 yards; Averaged 24.9 yards per reception; Had three TD catches; Athletic ball-hound who can win in coverage but is an above-average tackler as well; Among Monroe team leaders in total tackles, with 85; 50 of his tackles were unassisted; Averaged 6.1 tackles per game; Had 1.0 sacks in 2010-11; Had 1 interception; Three fumble recoveries; Caused two fumbles.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “He’s a very athetic running back who has outstanding speed,” says FSU offensive coordinator Dick Portee. “He can play both sides of the football, and plays both of them very well.”

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “Ricardo’s well known for his defense, but this year he showed a little more as running back for us,” says Monroe High School head coach Johnny Sowell. “He can catch the ball, and he and Jalen have been playing together for many years, all the way back to youth leagues and middle school. They’re a good mix and worked out great for us.”

Terry Currie

* TERRY CURRIE OL/DL 6-2 300 ST. PAULS HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Punishing blocker can play on either line; Finished with six solo tackles in dominating performance in St. Pauls’ 40-18 win over Red Springs in 2010.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “He’s a big kid who’s also very explosive,” says FSU offensive line coach Gary Lowery. “He’s very intelligent and is dedicated to the game and is a student of the game. He’s a devastating blocker at the point of attack and is very aggressive.”

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “At the beginning of the year, Terry made a commitment to try to earn the opportunity to play football at the college level,” says Trey Sasser, St.Pauls head coach. “He’s worked real hard and has done a lot to change his body. He’s gotten himself into great shape.”

Michael Bridgeman -- Photo by The Fayetteville Observer

* MICHAEL BRIDGEMAN ATH/QB 6-2 185 CAPE FEAR HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Averaged 121.5 yards passing per game; Capable of running to go with throwing ability; Father is a Fayetteville State alum.

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “Michael’s got great leadership abilities and capabilities,” says Bobby Bennett, the Cape Fear head coach. “He takes responsibility for what happens with the offense, and I have no doubt that he can develop into a nice quarterback at Fayetteville State. He’s a great decision-maker, he’s got a strong arm and he can make the short throws and the deep throws. He’s a smart kid who understands and recognizes blocking schemes and protections.”

* CORBIN RASCOE WR 5-10 177 BERTIE HIGH SCHOOL

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BY THE NUMBERS: Led Bertie in rushing with 590 yards on the ground; Averaged 6.5 yards per carry; Led team with seven rushing touchdowns; Speedster ran a 10.6-second 100-yard dash; Will likely be asked to play receiver at FSU.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Rascoe can really stretch the field and will be one of the taller receivers we have,” says FSU wide receivers coach Wayman Westbrooks. “He’ll learn from our older guys that have been around here and will definitely complement our other receivers like LaMarcus Bond and Warren Johnson.”

*TYREL BRYANT-DOVE ATH 6-1 190 SEVENTY-FIRST HIGH SCHOOL

COACH’S COMMENTS: He’s an explosive back, and I’ve seen him play well on both sides of the ball,” says FSU wide receivers coach Wayman Westbrooks. “He has a lot of good instincts and is a hometown kid. It’s always god to have hometown guys in the program.”

* DARIUS MOODY WR 5-7 151 BERTIE HIGH SCHOOL

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BY THE NUMBERS: Speedster ran a 10.5-second 100-yard dash; Rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown last year; Averaged 5.4 yards per carry; Expected to find playing time as a slot receiver at FSU.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Moody can definitely come in and learn from our older guys, which will definitely benefit him,” says FSU wide receivers coach Wayman Westbrooks. “He’s a shifty back that can make a lot of things happen with the ball in his hands.”

*RODNEY AVERY OL 6-1 302 E.E. SMITH

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Avery brings a local influence and he’s got a chance to develop into a great offensive lineman at FSU,” says FSU line coach Gary Lowery. “He has a lot of upside and a lot of room to grow. He’s able to run-block and pass-block and has unlimited upside.”

*DEMETRIUS BRIGGS OL 6-3 321 E.E. SMITH

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Another local product who can help provide more of a base in the Fayetteville area,” says FSU OL coach Gary Lowery. “He’s a great interior blocker who can come in and compete for some playing time. He needs to develop a little more on his pass blocking, but he has tremendous upside.”

* JEFF SIMS QB 6-5 185 BEN L. SMITH HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Led Ben L. Smith in passing with 1,805 yards in 2010; Threw for 20 TDs against just 9 INTs; Averaged 164.1 yards per game.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “He’s a tall, athletic quarterback who has the potential to really grow into the position,” says FSU recruiting coordinator David Bowser. “He’s a really good kid who played in a system at Ben L. Smith that is very similar to what we do here at FSU.”

* JUDD MORENO C 6-1 260 JACK BRITT HIGH SCHOOL

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Moreno’s a solid player to anchor the offensive line and play center,” says FSU recruiting coordinator David Bowser. “He comes from one of the best programs in the state and is a great student who also has a great understanding for the game.”

THURSDAY SIGNEES

Jarran Reed

* JARRAN REED DL 6-3 275 GOLDSBORO HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Another strong signing for the Broncos; Led 10-win Goldsboro with 118 tackles; Averaged nearly 10 tackles per game; Led team in sacks with 4.0; Had one fumble recovery; Caused one fumble; Blocked one field goal.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Defensive linemen can be hard to find at any level, but I felt like if we could get Reed that we could add him to the guys we have now,” says FSU head coach Kenny Phillips. “I think he can be an impact player for us. He’s very athletic and could be a great football player here.”

COACH’S COMMENTS: “He’s a tenacious defender,” FSU defensive line coach Damien Adams says of Reed. “He plays with a lot of enthusiasm and displays a high level of leadership on the field. He could be one to have an immediate impact.”

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “I think Fayetteville State is getting an exceptional defensive lineman in Jarran,” says Goldsboro head coach Eric Reid. “He’s a game-changer, a Division-1 caliber athlete that brings size, speed and a nose for the football to the line. I think he can make an instant impact on the defensive line, and I believe he can become something special in that environment. And with that coaching staff, he is only going to get better. We’re excited that he’s going to Fayetteville State, staying close to Goldsboro, and we’re going to fill up the stadium with Goldsboro people.”

Michael Sykes

*MICHAEL SYKES DB 6-1 175 GOLDSBORO HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE NUMBERS: Finished 10-win season with 77 tackles, ranking among the team leaders; 46 tackles were solo; Had a season-high 12 tackles in 35-13 win over C.B. Aycock; Led team with 3 interceptions and 5 passes defended; Led team with two fumbles recoveries; Brother Jacob plays at Virginia Tech.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Sykes is a very intelligent football player who has great range on the field,” says FSU defensive backs coach David Bowser. “He has great ball skills and is a very tough kid. I expect him to make an early impact for us.”

HIGH SCHOOL COACH’S COMMENTS: “Sykes is a very smart individual who has a nose for the football,” says Goldsboro head coach Eric Reid. “He’s an unbelievable cover guy who reads offenses very well. He’ll be a very good talent in the Broncos’ secondary. I think he has a bright future.”